ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to test the compressive strength of white mineral trioxide aggregate (WMTA) and gray mineral trioxide aggregate (GMTA) when mixed with sterile water or local anesthetic and exposed to an acidic environment. A total of 248 samples of WMTA and GMTA were mixed and placed in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), at pH 5.0 or 7.4, for a period of 7 or 28 days. When WMTA and GMTA were mixed with local anesthetic, the following were observed: 1) pH 5.0 caused a significant decrease in compressive strength (p<0.0001); 2) WMTA was significantly stronger than GMTA (p<0.0001); and 3) more time in PBS (total 28 days) caused a significant decrease in compressive strength (p<0.001). There were no consistent differences in compressive strength for WMTA or GMTA when mixed with sterile water. Variability of results suggests both types of MTA be mixed with sterile water in acidic and neutral environments.
Subject(s)
Aluminum Compounds/chemistry , Calcium Compounds/chemistry , Oxides/chemistry , Root Canal Filling Materials/chemistry , Silicates/chemistry , Analysis of Variance , Anesthetics, Local/chemistry , Color , Compressive Strength , Dental Stress Analysis , Drug Combinations , Drug Compounding , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Lidocaine/chemistry , Materials Testing , Time Factors , Water/chemistryABSTRACT
The purpose of this in vitro study was 2-fold: First, to compare the antimicrobial effect of gray and tooth-colored mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) when mixed with sterile water or 2% chlorhexidine. Second, to compare the compressive strengths of the MTA/chlorhexidine versus MTA/sterile water samples. The antimicrobial effect test was accomplished by placing freshly mixed MTA samples on agar plates inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis and comparing the zones of inhibition at 24 hours. In the compressive strength test, MTA pellets were allowed to set for 72 hours and then compressed to fracture by using an Instron testing machine. Values were recorded and compared. In the antimicrobial effect experiment, the zones of inhibition were significantly larger for samples mixed with 2% chlorhexidine. In the compressive strength study, statistical evaluation showed no significance due to variability. However, data revealed that MTA mixed with sterile water always had higher compressive strengths than MTA mixed with chlorhexidine.